Los Angeles City Council Voted to Ban E-Cigarettes In Public Spaces

It's a debate that has been difficult for city lawmakers (and citizens) to wrap their heads around: do electronic cigarettes fall in the same category as traditional tobacco in the scope of a smoking ban? Los Angeles, at least, has made a decision. The City Council just voted to ban e-cigarettes in public places.

According to Reuters, with a unanimous vote the Los Angeles City Council approved an e-cigarette ban on Tuesday. If the ban is signed into law, Los Angeles will become the third U.S. city to ban e-cigs in certain public spaces, joining Chicago and New York.

While advocates of e-cigarettes argue that banning 'vaping' in public places could cause former tobacco users to return to their addiction, the argument that won over the council came from public health experts, who warn that e-cigarettes still encourage smoking for the "uninitiated."

If the bill passes, e-cigarettes will not be allowed in restaurants, bars, farmers' markets, or any other outdoor dining areas. The ban will go into effect in 30 days once signed into law.

Posted by Kiri Tannenbaum

Kiri Tannenbaum is a contributing editor at Delish. Her love of food was sparked by an extended stay in Florence, Italy, where she assisted in the kitchen, shaving bittersweet chocolate over creamy, homemade tiramisu. Though she has no Italian blood in her lineage, Kiri always makes her sauce from scratch and hopes one day to adopt an Italian grandmother. Read More

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